How purpose-driven values can help teams to thrive in the post-COVID world

Most organisations I’ve come across have a set of values which define the core pillars of its identity and ways of working. They are an important signal to employees, suppliers and other stakeholders; indicating its vision and the guiding principles of how it conducts itself, and it is often quite easy to tell if these values are truly embedded through interactions with its employees. 

We have always had a strong trio of values at Cambridge Assessment: Collaborative, Responsible and Innovative. But in the current coronavirus context in which we’re all working, our values have become more important than ever. We are discovering new ways in which to breathe life into our values and our new Living our Values framework will continue to equip us to seize new opportunities. 

Last week, I caught up with my colleague Sam Valentine, Group Employee Experience Manager, about our new Living our Values framework. We discussed what impact it will have, and why now, under the shadow of Covid-19, is the right time to champion these values.  

What is the new Living our Values framework designed to do?

“As a not-for-profit educational organisation, we have always been hugely values and purpose-driven. But what we needed to do was take our existing values and bring them to life in a useful and meaningful way. And this is what the framework does. For example, it paints a clear picture of what being innovative could look like, and puts more emphasis on the ‘how’ you achieve that as opposed to just the end result.”

How do you think the framework will impact day-to-day working?

“This is not just about paying lip-service to something we feel we ought to do. The values will become part of everyday people processes, such as the continuous conversations that happen between people and their line managers as well as recruitment and training. Ultimately, we want to them to underpin all of our working relationships. Personally, I have already used the values in team building sessions and within our staff networks to focus on what really matters, for example focusing on how we champion diversity, trust and respect.”

Why now?

“This has actually been a year in the making, collaboratively with people all across Cambridge Assessment, but the launch came at an ideal time in some ways. In this unpredictable time of large-scale societal change, the framework offers a much-needed constant as we look for new ways to build closer relationships with our colleagues and learners.” 

Do you think the framework will be embraced as a positive comfort in these difficult times?

“Yes; the reaction so far has been really positive. We’ve been careful to really reinforce that this is not a rigid checklist, but a guide that can shape and inform everyone’s ways of working and help us all to have a positive mindset. 

“It is also a firm statement, embraced by the highest levels of the organisation, of support and motivation for every single employee; no matter who you are, where you work, your personality or circumstances. In this way, it’s very inclusive. 

“We want to be an organisation where people can feel empowered to have constructive conversations and be able to challenge behaviours that go against our values. The framework aims to give people a moment of reflection to ask a simple question: does this decision reflect our values? This is how we’ll truly embed our values and achieve our ambitions as an organisation.” 

You can read more about the work we’ve been doing to support our people throughout COVID-19 here